

The Real Reason Women are Burnt Out During the Holidays
Not Like a Regular Mom by Not Like a Regular Mom
S1 · E10
Jan 5, 2026
59:14
Episode notes
The holiday mental load makes the rest of the year's mental load feel like a vacation. From curating gift lists, to managing multiple calendars, to creating the holiday magic, so many holiday tasks unfairly fall on women. In this episode, we explore:
- family dynamics, dealing with in-laws, becoming a matriarch, and kin-keeping
- gift giving, gift lists, tracking sales, budgeting, wrapping, hiding
- the difference between the mental load, invisible labor, and emotional labor
- magic-making, hosting, and preparing for travel for the holidays
- men's holiday bad moods, and women's forced performance of joy
...and so much more that an old white man somehow gets all the credit for!!?
Keywords
mental load
motherhood
mom rage
domestic labor
holidays